A/N: I haven't written on Harry Potter fanfiction in so long, I'm very out of practice. I bought the last movie the other day (I've been avoiding it... The books ended, the movies ended, what do we have now?! *insert hysterical sobbing here*) Well, seeing little James and little Sirius running around started ideas buzzing around in my head, so you might expect to see a few of these floating about. I'll mark each chapter by the year they're in so that it will give you a decent idea. Enjoy!
I Solemnly Swear: The Secret (year two)
He'd been so caught up his studies that he hadn't heard his friends approach, so he jumped a little at James and Sirius' sudden appearance on either side. They didn't say a word at first, so he settled back into finishing what he was working on.
"We're good friends, right Remus?" James asked.
Well that was a sentence that could only lead to trouble. "We are..." the smaller boy said slowly, laying his quill pen against the parchment. No use in continuing at this point.
"And good friends tell each other things, Remus," Sirius said from his other side, grey eyes watching his every movement as if waiting for a reaction.
Remus gave no outward show of the nervousness that seemed to grow. "I guess so." He paused thoughtfully. "Is this the kind of secret that's going to land us all in a week's worth of detention?"
"This isn't our secret. It's yours."
Green eyes turned toward James, questioning. "I don't have a secret."
Sirius sighed and when he spoke his voice was hushed. "You don't have to lie to us anymore, Remus. We know."
Remus could feel the beginnings of panic rising. He didn't have secrets, not really. Well, one. One very big secret, but there was no way that they would know... He had been very careful. That had been the deal he'd made with Dumbledore upon arrival: no one would know that secret. He knew that if they did, he would lose friends, he would likely be kicked out of Hogwarts, and his life would simply end. There was no question in his mind of any of it. He knew well enough how people like him were treated if people knew.
He hadn't realized how still he'd gone as the thoughts whirled in his mind, nor how long he had been silent. He was almost startled at the touch of James' hand on his shoulder, a worried look in hazel eyes. "Remus..." He stopped, as if weighing something, but then he smiled and squeezed the smaller boy's shoulder. "What? Do you think we're going to tell Peter you were the one that replaced all of his favourite beans with dirty sock and earthworm flavours?"
Sirius grinned at his other side. "Yeah, mate, we were just disappointed that you didn't let us in on it. You little sneak. Who knew?"
Remus felt the panic dissipate as quickly as it had begun and he found himself smiling and even chuckling slightly at the thought of Peter's face when he'd discovered it. He'd really meant to be there for that. "I guess he knows, huh?"
"Not who did it for sure," James laughed. "I mean, there are only four of us in the room and he guards those bloody things like his life depends on it."
"So where did you stash the real ones?" Sirius asked, eyes sparkling with the idea.
"Well," Remus said slowly, "I didn't really mean to, but I may have eaten them all when I was studying last night."
"Well, since you're obviously all studied up then, a little help on that Defence paper?" Sirius asked as he stood from his seat, followed shortly by both of his friends.
"The one due tomorrow?"
"The one he hasn't started on yet," James laughed.
"I've started!"
"Your name on the paper does not count!" Remus argued, unable to keep the very edges of his lips from quirking in a smile.
"It's more'n James has on his."
"I've had mine written for days. It's right here," the other laughed and pointed to his head. "All I have to do is write it out."
"It's a wonder either of you will get it in on time. Now I see what you keep me around for."
"More than that, Remus," James promised, draping an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders and leaning in so that only he could hear. "And your other secret, your... ah... furry little problem... You don't have to go at it alone, mate. We're your friends, and that means something."
Remus would have tripped to the floor had James not had a grip around his thin shoulders.
"You two coming? We're losing time!" Sirius called.
"All of you know?" Remus asked shakily.
"We do, but it doesn't change a thing."
Green eyes blinked, confusion evident.
"C'mon," James laughed, urging him towards the stairs and in turn towards the Gryffindor common room, "it's not like it changes who you are. Now let's get up there before Sirius realizes he only has a few hours before lights out."